Ecclesiastes 1 - The Scriptures 1998

¹ The words of Qoheleth, son of Dawiḏ

² “Futility! Futility!” says Qoheleth. “Futility, futility, all is futile!”

³ What does man gain from all his labour in which he toils under the sun?

⁴ A generation passes away, and a generation comes, but the earth stands forever.

⁵ The sun also rises, and the sun sets, and hurries back to the place where it arose.

⁶ Going to the south, and turning round to the north, turning, turning, and on its rounds the wind returns.

⁷ All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea never overflows. To the place from which the rivers come, there they return again.

⁸ All matters are wearisome, no one is able to speak of it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

⁹ What has been is what shall be, what has been done is what shall be done, and there is no new matter under the sun.

¹⁰ Is there a matter of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It was here already, long ago.

¹¹ There is no remembrance of former ones, nor is there any remembrance of those that are to come by those who come later on.

¹² I, Qoheleth, was sovereign over Yisra’ĕ

¹³ And I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that has been done under the heavens; this evil task Elohim has given to the sons of man, to be humbled by it.

¹⁴ I have seen all the works that are done under the sun. And see, all was futile and feeding on wind.

¹⁵ The crooked could not be straightened, and what is lacking could not be counted.

¹⁶ So I spoke to my heart, saying, “See, I have attained greatness, and have gained more wisdom than all who were before me in Yerushalayim. And my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge.”

¹⁷ And I set my heart to know wisdom – and to know madness and folly. I know that this too is feeding on wind.

¹⁸ For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases suffering.